Laboratory Assistant

Work Schedule:

• Per Diem or Reserve, variable shift
• Salary Range: $19.35- $28.74
• For Information on Employee Benefits and SEIU Contract

Job Purpose:

Performs non-technical and technical duties, to include the performance and resulting of designated clinical laboratory testing. Performs routine laboratory specimen collection procedures including; venipuncture, capillary puncture, and urine collection. Possesses and maintains knowledge and skills regarding specimen collection and processing.

Duties:

• Commitment to Team: Develops and facilitates good working relationships with superiors, physicians, staff members and co-workers/peers. Contributes in problem-solving activities intra- and inter-departmentally. Demonstrates flexible staffing needs within the department. Uses department resources (supplies, equipment) in a cost effective manner. Communicates effectively and in a timely manner to medical director, co-workers and physicians through informal updates, written and verbal communications. Consistently meets attendance standards and follows the department standards for "calling in" and requesting time off. Must accept responsibility to model all facets of cooperative team member dynamics. Examples of these include not verbalizing grievances regarding another team member, but rather seeking out individuals and resolving those differences.
• Promotes/Provides Safe Patient Care: Demonstrates understanding that all employees are responsible for patient safety. Questions policies, environment and situations that may pose or are risks to patients. Recognizes the importance of reporting errors and near misses to protect and service the patient and improve processes. Encourages patients to be active partners in their care to prevent harm and injury.
• Consistently maintains neat and well-groomed appearance and complies with the department dress code. Wears I.D.badge at all times. Actively seeks to keep up appearance of facility including own work area as well as public areas even if not part of regular duties.
• Under the supervision and with on-the-job documented training by a Medical Technologist, performs waived testing, urine measurements and culture setups as allowed by Washington State and CLIA licensing. Aliquots and organizes saved specimens and retrieves specimens from archives. Assists in the discarding of old specimens.
• Obtains blood specimens from patients of all ages.
  • Verifies or records identity of patient or donor and converses with patient or donor to allay fear of procedure.
  • Applies tourniquet to arm, locates accessible vein, swabs puncture area with disinfectant, and inserts needle into vein to draw blood into collection tube or syringe.
  • Withdraws needle, applies treatment to puncture site, and labels and stores blood container for subsequent processing.
• Performs Drug Screen Collections and maintains DOT/NONDOT certifications.
• Ensures integrity of all samples through proper patient identification, labeling, appropriate tubes and techniques. Collects timed, routine, STAT and legal specimens. Delivers specimens to appropriate laboratory sections. Make routine rounds for collection. Assures all specimens ordered for the shift have been collected and accounted for. Collects specimens using Standard Precautions, safe techniques and safety devices.
• Receives, sorts and organizes requisitions, enter lab orders in the computer, schedule tests and perform other Lab clerical tasks. Prepares samples and paperwork, notifies couriers as appropriate and maintains report file and processes in computer. Able to research and provide information on turnaround time, availability, status and charges.

Skills/Qualifications:

• Ability to communicate effectively with patients, visitors, physicians and co-workers using empathy and positive interpersonal skills.
• Ability to multi-task with efficiency and accuracy.
• Ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagrammatic form.

Requirements:

• High School Diploma or GED
• Minimum 6 months Phlebotomy Experience at Island Hospital or 1 year documented experience as a Laboratory Assistant or equivalent as determined by Laboratory Director.
• Certified by the State of Washington as a Medical Assistant-Phlebotomist.
• Basic Life Support certification.
• Qualify under Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments(CLIA) Note: MA-P and BLS must be obtained within 90days of hire.

Work Environment:

• The work of this position is performed inside, exposing the employee to indoor environmental conditions, protected from weather conditions but not necessarily from temperature changes. The employee may be exposed to dust, pollens, pollutants, fumes, communicable diseases, bodily fluids, toxic substances, ionizing radiation, medicinal preparations and other conditions common a health care environment. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Physical Demands:

• While performing the responsibilities of this position, the employee is regularly required to stand for extended periods of time; push, pull and reach; occasionally bend, sit, stoop and stretch. The employee will need full range of body motion, including handling and lifting of patients, should have the hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity needed to operate a keyboard, photocopier, telephone, calculator and medical equipment. Normal range of hearing and eyesight to record, prepare and communicate appropriate reports are required; specific vision requirements: close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to focus. Occasionally lift and carry up to 50 pounds. Reasonable accommodation can be made to enable people with disabilities to perform essential functions of this position in relation to the physical demands detailed above.

Salary Range: $19.35-$28.74 per hour